dangote: the leadership principles and practice of …sdmimd.ac.in/pdfs/tomorrows_graduate.pdf3. do...

Tomorrow’s Graduate:

Further thoughts on the ‘ALE’ imperatives

Presentation at the Interactive Session with UG and PG students held at PES University,

Bangalore South Campus, Electronic City, Bangalore 560100, India, on December 21, 2015

Stephen ARO-GORDON, Ph.D.Baze University Abuja, Nigeria

Department of Financial Mathematics

Faculty of Computing and Applied Sciences

Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

1December 21, 2015 @ PES University, Bangalore, India

mailto:[email protected]


Coverage…1. A general enquiry into what it

takes to have a fulfilling

postgraduate working career.

2. Profiling of 3 strategic skills that

tomorrow’s human experts need to

have in order to achieve success

in a rapidly changing world.

December 21, 2015 @ PES University, Bangalore, India

Resources…


Further resources…


Mind your ‘Business’!!!

‘Business’ means ‘important matter’!

Businesses are tasks or important things that

somebody has to do or deal with (Encarta

Dictionaries, 2009)

Your Task Dimensions (TLs): Personal-

family-team/community-national-international

In this perspective, where would you place

orthodox ‘corporate’ thinking?


Business Administration

Business administration is the process of

managing workers and allocating resources

efficiently and effectively by applying

microeconomic principles to achieve common

goals – typically for business stability, growth

and profitability

• Organizational structure – Functionality -

SBUs

• Task allocation, coordination and supervision.


MBATypical programme in brief


MBA – accepted world-wide

1900 – 1st graduate school of business: Dartmouth College,

USA

1908 – 1st MBA programme: Harvard

15 Faculty

33 regular students

47 special students

i.e. total 80 pioneer MBA students

1986 – laptop fitted with standard software became

compulsory for MBA students – Rollins College, Florida.

Today, typical modular MBA requires 60 credits (600 class

hours)


B.Com / BBA / MBA:

Preparing for world-wide careers

1. Analyst – Finance professionals

2. Director / General Manager – SBU

3. Management Consultancy

4. Portfolio / Estate manager

5. Project / programme manager

6. Product manager

7. Entrepreneur / founder


MBA – general course structure

MBA Course Structure

CORE ELECTIVES

Capstone

- Strategy

-Research


MBA – Core courses

MBA

CORE Structure

Analytical Functional Ethics


Business degree course structure…

13

Analytical areas Accounting - Taxation

Finance – Financial Mathematics / Financial Engineering / Quantitative Analysis/ Analytical Finance / Actuarial sciences

Economics

Organization behaviour

Operations research –management science – Logistics –Supply Chain Management –Quality Control

Information system - MIS

Statistics / data analysis, etc.

Functional areas Financial management

HRM – Industrial Relations

Marketing Management

Operations management

Healthcare administration

Entrepreneurship

International business, etc.

Sustainability, etc


MBA:

Ranking criteria among stakeholders

1. Corporate recruiters / placements

2. Relevant research faculty

3. Amount of sustainability course work –

integration of social and environmental

stewardship


Understanding

Some of your initial practical roles

• Business support officer

• Office database management

• Project supervisor

• Helping the manager with performance analysis

• Overseeing an entire office,

• Making budgets

• Analyzing staff performance,

• Designing procedures,

• Assigning projects

• Research and Design

• Also begin to understand the roles of senior corporate officers such as

President, VP, CEO, CTO, CFO, COO, DMD, HRM, AO, etc.


Raising new transformational executives: Even the B-Schools themselves are changing…

• Increased collaboration / tie-ups with industry leaders – now a regular /

almost mandatory affair in forward-looking B-Schools globally.

• Turning to industry for inputs in course curriculum – B-Schools are now

working more with live projects with real data.

• Innovative courses /additives to meet changing business needs.

• New commitment to 360 degree human development

• Constant review of curricula – today’s curriculum is unlikely to fully satisfy

tomorrow’s need!

• Increased emphasis beyond what you consider to be the “regular

curriculum” into other crucial areas – corporate planning, general

management, leadership, social entrepreneurship, big data analytics,

consulting, digital strategy, intellectual property, arts and music!

• Online education initiatives - MOOCs


Raising new transformational executives: continuation…

• From creating ‘managers’, B-schools

have moved on to creating ‘leaders’.

• More rigorous learning and teaching

– shifts towards co-teaching for

increased exposure to diverse

problem-solving perspectives.


Imperative for a new kind of graduate: Employers too have become rather choosier…

• Mr graduate, what can you do? – your skills please, not your certificate!

• How would you solve this or that problem?

• How would you decide in such and such situation?

• What new approach would you rather adopt to solve this or that recurring

issue?

• How multi-tasking, flexible, adaptable?

• Attitudes – values – global perspective

• Facilitator – enabler

• Tech-savvy – how would you add value to our e-commerce business?

• International exposure / awareness

• Sound analytical / negotiation skills


What the ALE!

???


What the ALE…

No, not about this!!


Postgraduate Life Tomorrow

The Analytical imperative


Bill Gates on the ‘A’ imperative…

22

“The world’s not just about money. It’s about expertise.”

- Bill Gates

“There isn’t enough philanthropic or government money to solve the world’s problems.”

- Bill Gates


Analytical skills – It’s all about

problem-solving

“We cannot live only for ourselves. A

thousand fibres connect us with our

fellow men and women; and among

those fibres, as sympathetic threads,

our actions run as causes, and they

come back to us as effects.”

- Herman Melville


Back to Basics…“You cannot do epic without doing the basics.”

- Ussain Bolt



Problem-solving

Being analytical – making sense out of

complexity - is hard work that is crucially

needed in a problems-full world.

Asking for why’s I order to get to the

bottom of a matter

Who, what, where, when, why, how…



Problem-solving

1. Visualization

2. Articulate – critical thinking – weighing arguments –

implications – looking deeper into issues

3. Conceptualization towards making intelligent decisions – the

bigger picture – thinking out-of-the-box

Capacity to apply logical thinking to information gathering and

analysis

Designing and testing solutions to problems

Formulating plans – implementable plans complete with

milestones to measure performance


Analytical skills…

dimensions

1. Problem identification

2. Systems thinking – ‘question everything’.

3. Organizational knowledge

4. Problem-analysis and solution

Description is not enough – advance cogent

reasons and evidence in support of your

decision or recommendations.


Analytical approaches

1. Benchmarking

2. SWOT analysis

3. Force field analysis

4. Cost benefit analysis

5. Impact analysis

6. Pareto chart – 80 / 20 Rule

7. Time series analysis – Granger causality

analysis


Analytical approaches

Continuation

1. Scenario playing

2. Decision tree analysis

3. Simulation

4. Prototype modelling


Analytical mind & life skills…

1. Self-awareness

2. Empathy

3. Interpersonal relationships

4. Communication skills

5. Problem-solving

6. Decision-making

7. Stress management

8. Emotional intelligence – putting your emotions under control

9. Creative thinking

10.Critical thinking


At the end,

It’s about your quality…

“The quality, not longevity, of one’s life is

what is important.”- Martin Luther King, Jr.

“The men who succeed are the efficient

few. They are the few who have the

ambition and will power to develop

themselves.”- Robert Burton



The Leadership imperative


First…

Understanding ‘leadership’…

• Leadership is not an office, a position, or a title.

• Leadership is ability / intelligence / competence

to guide people

to direct people

to influence people

to help people to think systematically to solve

problems


Leadership:

… the ramifications are diverse

1. Definition and nature of leadership

2. Types and philosophies

3. Attributes of a good leader

4. Leadership traits

5. Factors in leadership effectiveness

6. Contingency approaches to leadership

7. Management versus leadership

8. Environmental demands of leadership in the 21st century

9. Ethical practices in leadership…


Why talk about leadership…

1. Increased volatility in the business world.

2. Increased competition in the marketplace

3. Faster technological change in the environment.

4. Changing demographics.

5. Pursuit of excellence through strategic leadership, etc.


Sound and credible leadership

…the 3 Cs

Competence

Charisma

Character


Credible leadership

is about Character & Competence

37

Character:

Integrity

Reputation

Prudence

Probity / accountability

Perseverance

Good human relations

Optimism

Sense of what is right and wrong – ethics

Punctuality

Tolerance

Hard-work -versatility

Competence:

Skills

Qualifications

Experience

Strategic thinker


Still on leadership character:

What do you think of Warren Buffet’s 10

ethical rules?

38

1. Don’t try to show off but be yourself,

and do what you enjoy doing

2. Do not go on brand name; just wear

those things in which you feel

comfortable.

3. Do not waste your money on

unnecessary things, but spend on

those things you really need.

4. Stay away from loans and credit

cards but remember to invest in

yourself.

5. Do not give chance to anyone to rule

your life for after all it is your life.

6. Remember money does not create

man, but it I man that created

money.

7. Live a simple life as

simple as you are.

8. Set goals and make sure

you and your subordinates

follow those goals.

9. Do not do what others

say but listen and do what

you feel is good.

10. Live frugally and

economically.


Quotes on

leadership character…

39

• “Work hard, play hard

and keep straight. When

wealth is lost, nothing is

lost. When health is lost,

something is lost. When

character is lost, all is

lost.”

- Felix Ohiwerei

• “You preach

better sermons

with your life

than with your

lips.”

- Oliver Goldsmith


Additional useful quotes on

leadership character…

40

• “…try to walk a straight

and narrow path of

doing what is right.”

• Moral leadership versus

• Materialistic leadership

- Psalms 26:11

• “A good man is

guided by his

honesty; the evil

man is destroyed

by his dishonesty.”

- Proverbs 11:3


Still on competent leadership:

…beyond delivering on targets

41

Organizational

performance:

Results - KPIs

Revenue

Profit

Growth

Expansion

Team management

Customer satisfaction

Efficiency:

Cost minimization

without losing quality

Quality

Turnaround time

After-sales service


Still on competent leadership:

Transformational vs. Transactional

42

Transformational:

Extraordinary change.

far-reaching change.

Effecting a complete

change usually into

something with an

improved appearance

or usefulness.

Transactional:

Normal business activity

Operational excellence

Negotiation skills

People of details and great analytical skills


Further aspects

of contemporary leadership

43

Inspiring

Visionary

Compassionate

Innovative – ‘out-

of-the-box’

thinking

Creative

Team leadership


The twin keys to successful leadership:

Vision & Perseverance

44

“In order to lead a

nation or a business

corporation, you

must have a vision.”

- Jack Welch

“I’m convinced that about

half of what separates the

successful entrepreneurs

from those non-

successful ones is pure

perseverance.”

- Steve Jobs


Credible leadership

…the 3rd ‘C’: Charisma

45

Charisma is your personal magnetism: the ability to inspireenthusiasm, interest, or affection in others by means of personal charmor influence.

Can you mention some ‘charismatic leaders’ that you know?


Some inspiring quotes from

Mahatma Gandhi….

Live as if you were to die tomorrow; learn as if you were to live forever.

The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.


Charismatic leaders?

Napoleon Bonaparte

Martin Luther King Jr.

Mother Theresa

Niccolo Machiavelli

Winston Churchill

Mahatma Gandhi

Nelson Mandela

Indira Gandhi,

Desmond Tutu, etc.


Influencing real /sustainable organizational performance:

How crucial / relevant is charisma?


The recurring debate:

Management vs. Leadership


Management vs. LeadershipPerspectives from John P. Kotler, HBR, May-June, 1990

50

Management

Coping with complexity…

Controls people by pushing them in the right direction…

Leadership Coping with change…

Motivates people by satisfying their basic needs…

“Leadership is not about getting people to do stuff. It’s about getting people to think.”

- David Marquet


Further perspectives…

Does leadership really

matter? Is ‘management’ not

enough?

Are leaders born or made?


Further perspectives…

Autocratic leadership – bossy, a leader who holds or displays unlimited power and is answerable to no other person, somebody who dominates or likes to dominate others. [Is this different from

‘strong’ leadership?]

Laissez-faire leadership – ‘leadership’ that doesn’t or does not like to interfere in other people's affairs; simply a leadership practice of letting people do as they wish [so-called ‘open-door’ policy].

Participatory / democratic leadership –Leadership

characterized by free and equal participation in decision-

making processes of an organization.

[Think about how this may affect the doctrine of power diffusion]


On participatory leadership …

“A genuine leader is not a searcher of

consensus but a moulder of consensus.”

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping

together is progress. Working together is

success.”

- Henry Ford.


What is servant leadership?


The outs of

credible leadership?


Business leadership:

…leaders of leaders

Jeff Bezos – Amazon (predictive analytics)

Anne Mulcahy – Xerox CEO of the Year (2008)

Howard Schultz – Starbucks

Larry Page – Google

Tim Cook – Apple

Indra Nooyi, Pepsi (Forbes’ Top 100 powerful

women)

Charles Forbes – teaching people how to survive trying periods


Business leadership:

…Leaders of leaders - continuation

Jack Welch (General Electric)

Richard Nicolosi (Procter & Gamble)

Bill Gates

Steve Jobs

Warren Buffet

Oprah Winfrey

Mark Zuckerberg, etc…


Insights from 100

best-performing CEOs in the world…[Adi Ignatius, HBR, Nov. 2015, pp. 33-43]

58

Leaders who actually delivered

solid results over the long run –

enduring success.

Goes beyond mere market

performance; ESG –

Environmental, Social, and

Governance – issues are also

paramount.

Excluded any executive who had

been arrested or convicted of a

crime

23 nationalities in 19 countries…

List includes: Lars Rebien Sorensen (Novo

Nordisk)

Tidjane Thiam (Prudential)

Jeff Bezos – Amazon

Stephen Luczo – Seagate Tech

Leslie Wexner –

John Chambers – CISCO

Richard Fairbank –Capital One

Vittorio Cololo (Vodafone)

Richard Anderson – Delta Airlines


KLCs:

Key Leadership Competencies…

Dynamic change agent

Effective Teacher

/Instructor

Effective organizer

Collaborative Consultant

ScholarReflective

Researcher


KLCs:

Key Leadership Competencies…

November 18, 2015 @ SDMIMD, Mysore, India

Leadership Competencies

Leader – Scholar…

“When you stop learning, you start dying.”

- T. L. Osborne

“The moment you think you have arrived and stop

reading, you stop growing and start to die.”

- E. A. Adeboye

“Stop wasting energy! Knowledge is the cheapest

way to victory.”

- David Oyedepo

“Read 500 pages every day.” – Warren Buffet


True leadership - collaborative

“We are all

something, but none

of us are everything.”- Blaise Pascal


Leadership:

Sense-able communication

“A wise man’s

words express deep

streams of thought”.- Proverbs 18: 4


Well-organized

Leadership

“Don’t agonize.

Organize.”- Florynce Kennedy


Impactful leadership:

Dynamic change agent

Your leadership ability will be rated by

what you finish (accomplishments), not

by what you attempt (efforts).

“A man is called selfish not for pursuing

his own good, but for neglecting his

neighbours.”- Richard Whately


Developing your leadership skills[Perspectives from Higheredjobs.com]

66

1. Believe in others

2. Connect with others

3. Put others first

4. Give up control

5. Encourage change

6. Collaborate with others

7. Practice leadership continuously


“Innovation distinguishes

between a leader and a follower.”

Steve Jobs



The Entrepreneurial imperative


A question of global quality

Aura is distinctive quality - a characteristic

or distinctive impression created by

somebody or something…

- a force that is said to surround all people

and objects, discernible, often as a bright

glow, only to people of unusual psychic

sensitivity (Encarta Dictionaries, 2009)

“…only to people of unusual psychic

sensitivity”? – not necessarily…


The world is waiting for your

own ‘drop’ of valuable contribution!

“We sometimes feel that what

we do is just a drop in the

ocean, but the ocean would

be less because of that

missing drop.”- Mother Teresa


What is ‘enterprise’?

The word ‘enterprise’ is rooted in French

etymology -15th century. < Old French

entreprise < past participle of entreprendre

"undertake" (Encarta Dictionaries, 2009).

‘Enterprise’ means readiness to

undertake new ventures…

= readiness to put effort into new, often risky,

ventures or activities…


‘Small’ entrepreneurship

Contributing to global prosperity

Country % contribution of SMEs to GDP

Japan 68%

Hong Kong 51%

United States 50%

United Kingdom 50%

India 40%

Nigeria 10%

Source: Adamu (2010)


Enterprising change

…from ‘rags to riches’

73

• Steve Jobs - Apple Inc.

• Bill Gates – Microsoft Corporation

• Tommy Hilfiger

• Colonel Sanders – KFC

• Fred Smith – FedEx

• Michael Dell – Dell Computers

• Ralph Lauren

• Bill Hewlett and David Packard (HP)

Colonel Sanders – KFC


The Spirit of Enterprise –

Some inspiring cases


Starting micro…..becoming big!

75

Amidst poverty, one man stands out

Mr Aliko Mohammed Dangote, a Nigerian, has become the richest black person in the world since 2008.

Aliko is estimated to be worth US$16.1 billon, but it didn’t happen overnight (Feyemiwo& Neal, 2013)


Dangote:

some profiling…• Born 10th April 1957, the first grandson of Sanusi Dantata

• Started business – trading in commodities and edibles at 13.

• Established his manufacturing and trading company in 1977 – at 20

• Dangote Group – 25, 000 employees in Nigeria alone – subsidiaries in Zambia, Ghana, Benin, Cameroon, Senegal, and South Africa

• One of the best brands in Africa – focused on providing local, value-added products and services that meet the basic needs of the populace.

• Largest industrial conglomerate in West Africa – generated revenue in excess of US$1.25 billion in 2005.

• On record that his fortunes grew by 544% within three years in a comparatively transparent manner

• Dangote Cement company has a market value in excess of US$13 billion and accounts for a quarter of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE)’s total market capitalization. Dangote Corporation is in the newly created NSE Premium Board in the Nigerian stock market.


You must start small!

• “I built a conglomerate and emerged the richest black man in the world in 2008, but it didn’t happen overnight. It took me thirty years to get to where I am today. Youth of today aspire to be like me, but they want to achieve it overnight. It’s not going to work. To build a successful business, you must start small and dream big. In the journey of entrepreneurship, tenacity of purpose is supreme.”

– Aliko Mohammed Dangote


Persistence & determination

• “Nothing in the world can take the place of

persistence. Talent will not; nothing is as common

than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not;

unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education

will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.

Persistence and determination alone are

omnipotent.”

– Calvin Coolidge

“Perseverance is stubbornness with a purpose.”

- Josh Shipp



• “If you are successful in Africa, you are bound

to be attacked from here and there. There will

be people who say that, without government

support, there is no way this guy can make

money.”




“Permanence, perseverance, and persistence

in spite of all obstacles, discouragements,

and impossibilities: It is this that in all things

distinguishes the strong from the weak.”

- Thomas Carlyle

If we cannot work through conflict, we will

never have good relationships.

- Joyce Meyer


Is it the survival of the fittest?

Know when you should adapt!

“It is not the strongest of the species that

survive, not the most intelligent that survives.

It is the one that is most adaptable to

change.”

- Charles Darwin


Dangote: started with US$2.50

…now US$16 billion conglomerate

82

1. Noodles

2. Spaghetti

3. Yoghurt

4. Milk

5. Macaroni

6. Sugar

7. Salt

8. Fruit juice

9. Bottled water

10. Cement

11. Oil refinery…


Dangote:

What really drives his enterprise

Pro-government

Competence

MentorshipPassion / Service

orientation

PhilanthropicFaith-based


Dangote:

Perseverance “…in the journey of entrepreneurship, tenacity of purpose is

supreme.”


Opportunity ‘smeller’ and seizer: Seems always ready to

seize every business opportunity, hence the great expansion

of his business in recent years particularly in Africa while

others are perpetually complaining about ‘hard times’.

Sound HR management: Devakumar Edwin (Indian),

Executive Director, Projects has been with Dangote

Industries for two decades.


Spirit of enterprise:

Hard work…

Risk-taker: “Building a successful business

requires 90% guts and 10% capital”

– Raymond Ackerman, South African

Founder of Pick N’ Pay chain stores

Prudence:

“Don’t eat with all ten fingers.” – an African

saying


On Spirit of Enterprise:

Hard work…

“If you work today, you will rest

tomorrow.”

- David Oyedepo

“Vision without action is a day dream.

Action without vision is a nightmare.”

- Japanese proverb


On Spirit of Enterprise:

Courage …

“Courage is resistance to fear,

mastery of fear, not absence of

fear.”

- Mark Twain

“Procrastination is opportunity’s

natural assassin.”

- Victor Kiam


Dangote:

Pro-government strategy “Do not fight government.”

– says Sanusi Dantata (his maternal grandfather and mentor)

This explains his closeness to nearly every successive government (He

holds GCON national honour reserved for No. 2-level citizens after the

President)

Pro-government strategy – a balancing game – pragmatism

Sensible and smart entrepreneurs across the globe know it is wise to be

interested in the political affairs of the nations where they operate.

“I am close to people in government because I am one of the big

businessmen in Nigeria. If we don’t have the right people there then

all the money I have is useless. If the country turns into another

Zimbabwe, for example, then I will become a poor person.”

- Dangote


Genesis of genius!

“Passion is the genesis of genius.”

- Galileo Galilei


Still on:

Genesis of genius!

“Stop doing things you don’t do well.”

- Joyce Meyer

“To be yourself in a world that is

constantly trying to make you

something else is the greatest

accomplishment.”- Ralph Waldo Emerson


The question is your relevance,

not your education!

“Create relevance, not awareness.”

- Steve Jobs


Dangote:Passionate entrepreneurship

• Passionate about creating jobs –

this motivated his shift from trading

to labour-intensive manufacturing.

• About adding value to humanity.

• Customer-centric: concerned about

the basic needs of the populace.


Passion & entrepreneurial impact

A corroboration…

93

“If you just work on

stuff that you like and

you’re passionate

about, you don’t have

to have a master plan

with how things will

play out.”

- Mark Zuckerberg


Self-check:What are you passionate about?

• “To live in negligence of one’s purpose is to

become negligible.”

– Benn Itua

• “A small man is made up of small thoughts.”

- Victor Hugo

• “I’d rather be a failure at something I love

than a success at something I hate.”

- George Burns


Still on focus…

“I’ve always believed that

you should do things that

you know something

about, that you’re good

at.”- Lars Sorensen – World’s Best CEO 2015 according to HBR


Self-check:Have discovered your vocation yet?

• Vocation is a strong feeling of suitability for a

particular career or occupation.

• It’s an employment or occupation regarded

as worthy and deserving of your dedication or

total commitment.


Mentored entrepreneurship …

97

Dangote learnt hard

work and perseverance

from his grandfather –

Pa Sanusi Dantata

Jeff Bezos – mentored

by his grandfather in

Texas

Barack Obama –

mentored by his mother

Ann Dunham

Carlos Slim Helu– mentored by his Lebanese parents Khalid & Linda

Oprah Winfrey –mentored by grandmother Ms

Lee.


Still onMentored Entrepreneurship

• “It’s rare that anyone

becomes successful

without the assistance of

others.”

- Thomas J. Stanley


Dangote:Faith-driven entrepreneurship

Character: - attributes every success to God’s guidance

and blessing

Some particular impressions from Dangote:

Perseverance

Optimism

Tolerance

Hard-work – sleeps 2am and wakes up 6am daily!

Contentment & simplicity - living in same house for years.

Humility – imbibed from his mentor, his maternal

grandfather, Sanusi Dantata


Faith-driven entrepreneurship

“Faith is to believe what we do not see, and the reward of this faith is to see what we believe.”

- St. Augustine

“When you have nothing left but God, then for the first time you become aware that God is enough.”

- Maude Royden


Spirit of enterpriseHumble service…

“The mark of true, godly leadership is

not power and privilege, but humble

service.” - David McCasland

“It was pride that changed angels into

devils; it is humility that makes men

angels.”- St. Augustine


Spirit of enterpriseThe Humility Question

“All of us occasionally do

what is right. A few

predominantly do what is

right. But do any of us always

do what is right?”- Max Lucado


Dangote:

Frugality + elegance

Monogamist…

Drives himself…

Unassuming: Authentic successful

leader versus phony rich men: -

“The empty vessel or drum makes

the loudest noise.”


Dangote:Social entrepreneurshipGood community relations and sound corporate social

responsibility, hence the relative peace it enjoys within its business communities where it is operating – this is true of the relatively volatile Niger Delta areas in Southern Nigeria.

Dangote Business Academy and School of Entrepreneurship

Dangote Foundation

First African company-donor (US$2 million) to the United Nations World Food Programme (UNWFP), Rome, Italy

Other support initiatives to Universities

President, national job-creation committee


Some ‘outs’ in the

Dangote leadership philosophy

105

1. Don’t waste your time – your most precious asset

2. Don’t bring emotions to management and financial decisions

3. Don’t hang around with the wrong crowd – watch the company you keep.

4. Don’t take people’s loyalty to your organization for granted – the workplace is more than a place for just pay-check.

5. Don’t be a womanizer –philandering has brought many leaders down.

6. Don’t be a drunkard – steer clear of illicit drugs.

7. Don’t hire mediocre and avoid recruiting those employees who do not buy into your company’s vision and objectives. (“I always make sure I hire people smarter than me” – Aliko Mohammed Dangote)

8. Don’t let power diffuse in any form – the buck stops at the leader’s desk.


Dangote:

Some of his dislikes!

Mergers, partnerships, JVs

“I don’t like business

partnerships or joint ventures,

they create a lot of problems.”

- Aliko Mohammed Dangote


Dangote:

Aiming higher …His greatest wish – to be known as the

greatest industrialist to have lived in Nigeria.

Aims to make Dangote global brand –

currently looking for opportunities in

emerging markets of Middle East and Asia.

Targets US$ 68 - $72 billion in net worth by

2018. (current level is US$16.1 billion; he was worth US$3.3 billion in 2008)


Concluding remarks Employers’ expectations from today’s graduate may appear diverse and complex,

but there is one commonality: the increasing emphasis on the Analytical,

Leadership, and Enterprise (ALE) skills. Intelligent, globally-minded analytical

personality, as well as leadership and entrepreneurial disposition remain crucial for

a fulfilling career in a rapidly changing environment. To meet the new dynamics in

the production of future-ready graduates, the B-schools will need to intensify

development of innovative problem-solving approaches that are perhaps beyond

what are currently being offered in the classrooms.

Evidently, enhanced synergy / collaboration / interface between the classroom and

the workplace is needed more than ever before.

Perspectives from Dangote, a distinguished African leader and the richest black

person in the world, as well as Steve Jobs, Bill gates, Mark Zuckerberg, among

many others, were presented to show that the ALE model is very much desirable

and possible everywhere.

Tomorrow’s graduates – BBAs, BCMs, MBAs, etc., must be prepared to adapt and

be adept!

108


Parting …

“I got richer by failing. I found out that people

who do not fail also do not succeed”

- Robert Kiyosaki

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Stephen ARO-GORDON, Ph.D.

Baze University Abuja, Nigeria

Department of Financial Mathematics

Faculty of Computing & Applied Sciences

Email: [email protected] /

[email protected]




Caveat / feedback …

All the materials used in this presentation are solely for

educational purpose, advancement of knowledge and

improvement of educational practices to move the society

forward. The author will be pleased to make good any

omissions or rectify any mistakes brought to his attention at

the earliest possible opportunity.

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dangote: the leadership principles and practice of …sdmimd.ac.in/pdfs/tomorrows_graduate.pdf3. do...

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